Nags Head Restaurants

This Outer Banks landmark restaurant at the top of many locals’ lists of favorite places. The service is genuinely friendly, and the portions are more than generous. You’ll enjoy views of Roanoke Sound on both sides of the restaurant, including nightly sunsets. They feature only local, fresh North Carolina seafood that comes in whole and is cleaned in their state-certified fish-cleaning house, located onsite. They also serve local produce, all-natural chicken, vegetarian dishes, pasta and USDA Angus steaks. Their dedication to freshness includes their own herb and vegetable garden as well as their own crab shedders. Their wine room features thousands of bottles of wine and accompanies a roomy bar area where you can order from a bar menu, a tapas menu or the full restaurant menu. Their special occasion buffets – Easter, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, Father's Day – are hugely popular, and they also offer on- and off-premise catering for any size or type of event. In season, Lone Cedar Cafe serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays), Sunday brunch and lunch at the food truck in the parking lot Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you want a quick and delicious lunch, the Lone Cedar Cafe food truck is your ticket for local seafood sandwiches, fish boats and more (the daily menu is posted on Facebook). Lone Cedar Cafe closes between New Year's and Valentine's Day every year. Call for off-season hours. 

For a tasty treat, head to Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream. Choose from more than 50 flavors of made-from-scratch ice cream plus sorbet and soft serve. You can get any flavor made into a shake, split, sundae or float, even a brownie sundae – yum! Big Buck’s has an espresso bar and all the espresso-based coffee drinks you need to pick up your day. Handmade Belgian chocolate and fudge are made fresh daily, and they also accept custom orders for wedding favors, baby showers and other events. And don't forget the ice cream cake! They have a flavor for every occasion.

For a tasty treat, head to Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream. Choose from more than 50 flavors of made-from-scratch ice cream plus sorbet and soft serve. You can get any flavor made into a shake, split, sundae or float, even a brownie sundae – yum! Big Buck’s has an espresso bar and all the espresso-based coffee drinks you need to pick up your day. Handmade Belgian chocolate and fudge are made fresh daily, and they also accept custom orders for wedding favors, baby showers and other events. And don't forget the ice cream cake! They have a flavor for every occasion.

At Billy’s Seafood they stock plenty of fresh, local seafood, so pick some up to prepare your own feast at home tonight. They’re a great stop for local soft-shell crabs in season, and they also have convenience items, seasonings, beer and wine. The fresh, homemade tuna salad they sell here is some of the best you'll find anywhere; buy more than you think you'll need.

Get ready to kick back and relax at Bonzer Shack. With their creative take on Southern and island comfort food in a surf hangout atmosphere, there’s always something on the menu that’s sure to tempt you. The menu offers sandwiches, fresh seafood specials, steaks, burgers and the mouthwatering smoked Gouda grit cakes. Local favorites also include delicious apps like the Hippie Dip and wings roasted in-house daily plus their excellent specialty cocktails. From June through September stop by for live outdoor musical entertainment from daily (weather permitting) or enjoy the spacious yard for drinks and yard games like Ping Pong, cornhole and many more. The Shack is open for lunch and dinner year round. 

If it’s Southern chicken, then it’d better be fried. At least, that’s what they believe at The Cookshak Fried Chicken. Their small menu lets them focus on preparing fried chicken and its fixings right, crafting each meal to feel like you’re sitting down to a big chicken dinner at Grandma’s country farmhouse. The restaurant serves food in family-size servings, and you can order half or whole birds and pair them with sides of fries, mac and cheese or coleslaw available by the pint or quart. Be sure to check out their daily lunch specials, too, for deals on single-serving meals. Cookshak's Duck location is take-out only, and their Nags Head location offers takeout or dine-in options. They also deliver for free. 

Cosmo’s offers Italian-style food that’s worth seeking out. The pizza crust is perfect — crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and with just a hint of sweetness. Choose from any of their fabulous pizza concoctions (ask about their unique weekly specialty pizzas) or create your own. Cosmo’s also offers salads, pasta dishes, subs, beer and wine. You can get take out or have it delivered.

A fixture on the Beach Road in Kill Devil Hills since 1987, Dare Devil’s Pizzeria is an Outer Banks favorite, widely known for its delicious pizzas, stromboli, subs, salads, wings and other amazing appetizers. This is a family-owned and -operated restaurant, and there are many reasons why it’s the longest-running pizzeria on the beach, including sauce and dough that are made fresh daily, the use of only top-quality ingredients and super-friendly management and staff. Dare Devil's has a take-out and counter-service model. Your order at the counter and seat yourself in the dining room. A staff member will bring your order out to you when it is ready. A crew member will gladly take your order over the phone for carry-out or you can walk in, order, grab a cold beverage and watch a surf flick on the big screen while you wait. 

You can't eat and drink any closer to the ocean than this. Fish Heads at Outer Banks Pier offers a restaurant and bar with seating on the deck in the sun or moon or under a roof with open-air curtains. They serve fish tacos, steamed shrimp, fresh hamburgers, crab cakes, tuna bites, fries and more. And they also have some breakfast sandwiches for the early birds and anglers. Wine and an extensive craft beer menu are available, including a great selection of draft beers and sake cocktails. They also have shrimp happy hour and live music.

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar is a casual restaurant with a colorful and lively island-style atmosphere. The interior decor inspires happiness with bright murals, local artwork, fish tanks and vintage license plates on the walls surrounding the lobby and bar. The menu is fresh and creative, combining Outer Banks seafood with vacation-destination island influences, like Caribbean Creole Pasta, Caberete Shrimp, Caicos Coconut Shrimp Salad and Seafood Kingston. The Rasta Pasta, Tuna Oscar, Tuna Reuben and Jazzy Coconut Chicken are rounded out by daily specials and selections from the steam and raw bar. Not in the mood for seafood? Goombays offers plenty of chicken, beef and vegetable options, from great burgers to awesome sandwiches and, of course, chicken wings. Goombays is family friendly with a unique kids' menu and specialty kid drinks. The full bar features about 50 beer selections, including a wide range of North Carolina craft brews along with wine and signature cocktails. Their namesake Goombay Smash can be served as a Kill Devil Smash using locally crafted Kill Devil Silver & Pecan Honey Rums. Goombays serves lunch and dinner, and the bar stays open until midnight with late-night steamed and raw seafood.

Family-owned and -operated, La Fogata Kitty Hawk Mexican Restaurant offers traditional Mexican fare in a casual setting that can accommodate large parties indoors and also offers outdoor seating. All the dishes on their extensive menu are available for dine-in or take-out, and online ordering is available. If you're feeding a crowd, order their family-style dinners of enchiladas, burritos or fajitas, or hire them to cater a taco bar. They serve beer, wine and mixed drinks (they're known for their margaritas, of course), and offer desserts and a children's menu. Open for lunch and dinner year-round, La Fogata Kitty Hawk is known for excellent service from friendly staff.

McGrath's is an Irish-themed meat-eaters paradise. They do wing all the ways: bone in, boneless, grilled, with wet sauce or a dry rub. They have all the appetizers that go great with a Guinness, like Irish Nachos and Pretzels and Beer Cheese. Their burgers can be crafted classic American style or Irish style — for instance, the Irish Car Bomb with fried onions, Jameson barbecue sauce, a fried egg and Bailey's candied bacon. They also serve chicken burgers, hot dogs and even have plant-based options like the Beyond Burger and a black bean burger. Just try to resist their chips (fries)! McGrath's Burger Boxes make for easy take-out dinners. McGrath's has a full bar with beer, wine and spirits, including all of the Irish favorites.

Ocean Boulevard is a casual yet upscale restaurant, which means you can enjoy a special evening out in the comfort of your sandals. They are, after all, just steps away from the ocean. Ocean Boulevard’s culinary team serves an American bistro-style menu that has been praised in Southern Living magazine as well as The Washington Post. The menu changes seasonally but always includes beautiful preparations of local seafood, regional poultry and meats, nightly chef specials and decadent desserts. They have a comprehensive wine list and a full bar with their own martini menu. Their ocean-side patio is one of many unique features; it’s an enjoyable hangout during the summer, and you can often catch some live music during the week. Ocean Boulevard is open nightly for dinner year round. Reservations are suggested.

Owens’ is a Nags Head institution, featuring a legacy of coastal Southern fine dining by the sea. Diners can enjoy generous portions of fresh fish and shellfish from local watermen, pasta, aged prime beef Southern specialties and house-made desserts. Owens' serves dinner Tuesday through Saturday nights, and much to the delight of their loyal customers, they now offer brunch Tuesday through Sundays. The brunch menu features hearty favorites like Benedicts, platters, omelettes and comfort food favorites along with mimosas and spirits. Owens' wine list is lengthy, and beers and a full bar are available in the restaurant or upstairs in the Station Keepers Lounge. Everything at Owens' is seasoned with a huge helping of Southern hospitality. History buffs will marvel at Owens’ collection of museum-quality artifacts dedicated to the maritime history of the Outer Banks.

Pizzazz is a pizza favorite on the Outer Banks. They’ve been around since 1986 because they make consistently great pizza with generous toppings and the service is friendly. Choose from gourmet menu creations or stick with the traditional. Pizzazz also makes hot subs, salads and wings. You can eat in for lunch or dinner or have your pizza delivered. Call for off-season hours. And, if you're driving to the Outer Banks from the north, check out their location in Grandy on the Currituck mainland.

You may have heard of Plaza Azteca, a Virginia Beach–based chain of Mexican restaurants. The restaurants serve upscale Mexican food, and they're known for their many flavors of margaritas, sizzling fajitas and fresh guacamole, made right at your table. The extensive menu features all the traditional favorites – quesadillas, nachos, burritos, enchiladas and tacos – along with some nice surprises, specials and combinations. Vegetarian items and a kids' menu are available. The atmosphere is lively and family friendly.

Nothing brings people together quite like great food and drinks. Sandtrap Tavern is a neighborhood restaurant, bar and grill located in Kitty Hawk. Its mission is to offer a relaxing space for visitors and locals to kick back and enjoy Southern hospitality at its finest. Their menu features a variety of choices, ranging from handcrafted burgers and local seafood to refreshing salads and creative daily specials. They serve the same slow-cooked North Carolina barbecue people know from their sister restaurants, Sooey’s BBQ and Simply Southern Kitchen. Thirsty? Choose from a selection of specialty cocktails and craft beer. Wine is also available by the glass or bottle. Situated on the beautiful Sea Scape Golf Links, Sandtrap Tavern's location delivers views of both the golf course and the Atlantic Ocean. Dine indoors in their dining room or enjoy your meal or favorite drink outdoors on the deck. Don’t forget to check out their weekly live music.

If you’re looking for delicious and traditional Southern fare on the Outer Banks, stop by Sooey’s BBQ & Rib Shack. With locations in Corolla and Nags Head, they're proud to offer their famous Carolina barbecue. They specialize in authentic Eastern North Carolina-style pulled pork barbecue, slow-smoked ribs, beef brisket and Southern fried chicken. You’ll find all your favorite homemade sides here too, including potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, onion rings, cornbread and hush puppies. Combine that with their awesome apps, burgers and kids’ menu, and you’ve got a winning combination to please a variety of cravings. You can sit down and eat in either of the locations or take your meal to go. They also offer prepared family meals, catering and event planning services. Call ahead for large orders. 

Offering a primo location right on the water, Sugar Creek has been serving the freshest seafood available to locals and visitors for years. The views of Sugar Creek and the Roanoke Sound are incredible. The outdoor walkways and decks on the property are great for strolling along and viewing the resident wildlife. Before dinner, enjoy a drink from their outdoor gazebo bar. Folks can also enjoy the newly expanded covered decks for awesome outside dining and spectacular views of the Roanoke Sound. The fresh, local tuna, shrimp and scallops are expertly prepared at Sugar Creek and keep seafood lovers happy. Also on the menu are favorites like steaks, prime rib, chicken, ribs, pasta, salads, soups, burgers and sandwiches and they have a children’s menu. The newly expanded dining room easily accommodates large parties and special events like rehearsal dinners. Sugar Creek serves lunch and dinner daily in season and is open from March through December. 

Don’t you hate it when people say that chocolate fudge is sinful? Sometimes it’s just a necessity. The Fudgery’s creamy concoctions can satisfy any sweet tooth. Your mind will be boggled at the variety of flavors from dark chocolate to peanut butter to rocky road, even New Orleans praline. The fudge is all theatrically prepared right in front of your eyes on marble slabs and served by the thick slice. Check out their Chiller Fudge – it’s the perfect way to enjoy the treat on a hot summer day. You choose from 20 flavors of ice cream then the fudge or other sweets to add to it, and they mix it right up in front of you.

Sister restaurant to the beloved Paper Canoe restaurant in Duck, The Pony and the Boat Comfort Kitchen offers the consistency and high food quality of the Paper Canoe with more casual fare and a low-key vibe. Settle in for a comfort-based dinners at the bar, in a cozy booth or in the dining room, where tables can be configured for groups large and small. The focus of the menu is to offer a fresh, elevated take on comfort food: fried chicken, fresh seafood, chicken pot pie, Southern-style sides and more. The kitchen is committed to top-quality ingredients to include all-natural chicken, grass-fed N.C.-raised beef, local and regional seafood, local produce and more. Take-out is available. The restaurant serves beer, wine and spirits, including an extensive list of bourbons.